Tigers

Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 6-8-11

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–2B Ryan Raburn now has a seven-game hitting streak — but the seventh game was the only one containing more than one hit. Raburn’s line single to center triggered a four-run fourth inning, and he roped another RBI single when Detroit scored twice in the seventh. Raburn is also starting to settle in defensively after a couple of years playing mostly the outfield.

–RHP Rick Porcello worked all four quadrants of the strike zone in an effective six innings against the Rangers. He got 11 groundball outs and issued just one walk. “Porcello was the key,” manager Jim Leyland said. “He did a great job of getting the ball on the ground, keeping us in the game.” Porcello threw 87 pitches and a rested bullpen, save for two relievers, made it easy for Leyland to lift him after six innings. He now has six wins, five coming in his last six starts.

“I was able to get ahead in the count early,” Porcello said. “I was able to get some quick outs early in the game. I felt like I had a pretty (effective) sinker.”

–LHP David Purcey, who came home to Dallas during the weekend to be with his wife when she gave birth to twins, pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings in Detroit’s 8-1 win over Texas. “I was going to pitch him one inning,” manager Jim Leyland said, “but since he had twins, I pitched him two.” Purcey left two men on in each inning, following two-out walks with strikeouts in both frames.

–OF Casper Wells had a single, two doubles and an RBI while playing both left and right fields. Wells’ RBI double capped the four-run fourth. “Relaxing is the big thing,” he said. “I don’t put any added pressure on myself to do so much out there.” His hits went to left, center and right-center.

–CF Austin Jackson contributed his second three-hit game in a row. He had a two-run double, a single and an RBI single as Detroit had 20 hits. “When we get rolling, I think everybody’s feeding off each other,” Jackson said. It looks as if Jackson’s timing is back in regards to getting his front foot down a little quicker.

–3B Danny Worth is making the most of his limited playing time. Worth went 1-for-4 with a single, and his walk in the fourth inning was a key part of Detroit’s four-run frame. He entered Monday’s game as a defensive replacement and had two hits and three RBI. Worth was called up from Class AAA Toledo on May 27, and he has six hits in 14 at-bats. “I was working a lot down in Triple-A trying to drive the ball more,” Worth said. “It’s good to see some results, even though I’m not trying to hit for power. I’m just trying to get singles and get on base.”

–C Omir Santos was optioned to Class AAA Toledo after Tuesday’s game so Detroit could make room for LHP Phil Coke on its roster. Coke will come off the disabled list to start Wednesday against Texas. “He’s pitching in the heat against a guy that’s 6-0, so good luck Cokie,” manager Jim Leyland said, referring to Rangers RHP Alexi Ogando.

–RF Magglio Ordonez (right ankle weakness) says unless something drastic happens, he hopes to be ready to return to the Tigers on Thursday when they return home to play Seattle. He is 6-for-21 (.286) with one extra base hit, a double, in five rehab games for Class AAA Toledo. “I think I’m driving the ball really good,” Ordonez said. “Every time that I hit it, I’m hitting the ball with authority. But I’ve got to get the timing, see a lot of pitches.”

BY THE NUMBERS
38 — Hits for the Tigers in the first two games of the three-game series at Texas. Detroit hadn’t compiled that many hits in a two-game stretch since 1993.

QUOTE TO NOTE
“It’s hard to be easy on yourself when you have expectations. That’s something I’ll fight for the rest of my career. Nobody goes home smiling when you don’t do the job. It’s a fine line of not putting too much pressure on yourself, but it’s getting better.” — RF Brennan Boesch, on being his harshest critic.